Report reveals oversight gaps before Erasmus Bridge stabbing that killed one
Authorities failed to fully monitor Ayoub M., the suspect in the fatal stabbing at Rotterdam’s Erasmus Bridge, in the months leading up to the attack, according to a joint report from the Dutch Inspectorate of Justice and Security and the Inspectorate of Health Care and Youth.
On September 19, 2024, Ayoub M., armed with two knives, stabbed two men at the foot of the Erasmus Bridge. A 32-year-old Rotterdam man was killed, and a 33-year-old Swiss man was seriously injured. Bystanders, including a personal trainer working nearby, intervened to restrain the suspect.
At the time, Ayoub M. was under a conditional TBS order, which is imposed on individuals who have committed serious offenses and are considered to have a psychiatric disorder that makes them a risk to society. TBS is a form of court-ordered psychiatric treatment combined with supervision.
M. was supervised by Reclassering Nederland, the Dutch probation service, and lived in a Kwintes facility for protected living while receiving outpatient forensic psychiatric treatment from De Waag. The inspectorates found that in the months before the stabbing, the organizations did not have a full view of changes in protective factors, such as daily activities, or risk factors, including alcohol and drug use.
The inspectorates noted, “Early signs of increasing vulnerability to psychiatric destabilization were not always observed or assessed in context.” In the two months before the incident, limited monitoring of his alcohol and drug use meant that compliance with TBS conditions could not be verified, and the risk of reoffending could not be accurately assessed.
The lack of coordinated risk assessment between Reclassering Nederland, Kwintes, and De Waag reportedly created blind spots in care and supervision, leaving the suspect’s risk of reoffending insufficiently evaluated. The report emphasizes that the organizations had no structured agreements for sharing information, which sometimes left critical details known only to one organization.
The inspectorates did not determine whether different actions could have prevented the stabbing. Previous offenses in 2022 had generated signals regarding possible radicalization. Special police teams and Reclassering Nederland investigated these signals according to protocol and concluded that his crimes were not motivated by radical beliefs. A psychiatric evaluation during his TBS period identified only psychiatric problems, with no indications of radicalization.
The report recommends that organizations involved in TBS supervision make clear agreements on information sharing at the start of any care trajectory. Risk assessments and signaling plans should be discussed jointly. Reclassering Nederland is advised to hold regular multidisciplinary meetings with adequate time to review signals and risks.
